Herbert Diess and Supervisory Board Stephan Weil (SPD, r.)
As representatives of the major shareholders, Wolfgang Porsche and Michel Piech expressed their confidence in the VW boss.
Frankfurt Despite all the excitement about his professional future, VW-Boss Herbert Diess note nothing. With a friendly smile, he entered the conference room in Wolfsburg on Thursday afternoon VW– Head office where the supervisory boards of the car manufacturer had gathered. The party reported afterwards to the Handelsblatt.
In advance Diess had been heavily criticized in the mediabecause the important Golf 8 and ID.3 models have massive problems. The expected showdown did not occur. “There was not a second’s talk about kicking out Diess,” said several people present at the meeting.
Therefore, this remained calm and relaxed in the meeting. He would have cause for concern. Because at the meeting there was intensive talk about the defects in the new Golf and the electric vehicle ID.3. A supervisory board complained that there were never as many problems in the production of a Golf as there are currently. The ID.3 also has so many shortcomings that a serious burden is to be feared.
According to the circles, Diess himself does not see the blame on himself. He is said to have explained that other managers are responsible for the respective production start-ups. The guilt lies with these executives and not with him.
The supervisory board would not have accepted this statement. As Chairman of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Group, he was ultimately responsible for these important issues, as was said after the meeting.
Wolfgang spoke as the representative of the major shareholders Porsche and Michel Piech trust the VW boss. The family is behind Diess, said a spokesman for the family clan. Prime Minister Stephan Weil (SPD), who sits on the Supervisory Board as the representative of Lower Saxony, said: “The state will continue to actively support Mr. Diess in his work in the future. This also applies expressly to me personally. “
Even if one Resignation of the CEO who has been in office for two years was not an issue, the position of the 61-year-old is not secured. This will now have to deliver, it said in the environment of the supervisory board. If there are still massive problems with the important models, then there will still be talk about its future at the top of the VW.
More: Power struggle in Wolfsburg: mistrust of VW boss Diess is growing